Some earthquakes are so slight, and some occur in such remote areas, that they are barely felt. Others are so violent that they cause extensive damage. Earthquakes are caused by stresses below the earth's outer surface. These stresses usually build up until the rocks fracture along a fault plane. This causes vibrations, also known as seismic waves. Seismic waves will then travel in all directions from the area of fracture. In large earthquakes seismic waves may be detected over the entire earth.

Earthquakes can be caused by volcanoes in certain cases. Nuclear explosions under the ground can create waves that are very similar to natural seismic waves. The seismic energy created in a atomic bomb is one hundred-thousandth that of the largest earthquake.